crappiest fantasy books?

[Idris2002]

That Tim Holt guy, or whatever his name was, was one I could never get into.

He was playing Donovan to Pratchett's Dylan.

 

[DotCommunist]

one thing I will say in defense of Tolkien- the epics you get today, the 12 booker mortgage payers have usually a happy ending, if not a return to the past peace but a sense of happy homecoming. We won. Scouring of the Shire doesn't give you that.

 

[campanula]

That Tim Holt guy, or whatever his name was, was one I could never get into.

He was playing Donovan to Pratchett's Dylan.

Oh Jesus yes! - The outsorcerers apprentice ffs (Tom Holt)

Although (shameful confession): I just can't do Pratchett. Just can't. Tried - all those nights without books while the bookshelves groan with every single Pratchett book...in hardback (youngest - every Xmas).
eta - just remembered - along with Pratchett, youngest also devoured all those Thraxus books...which, to my shame, I bought for him because there was a mention of a chain-mail bikini (shite parent alert!)

 

[Buddy Bradley]

Not sure that's quite fair. Did you read to the end of it? The entire plot arc is the rise of the character from ultimate victimhood to her being master of the universe. It could be argued that it is an exploitative way for a male writer to write a woman character, but I didn't think that was the vibe of it by the end. It was a while ago I read it though

It was one of those series' where the first book starts as a rollicking space adventure and four books later it's turned into a philosophical treatise. Bit like Enders Game. I do remember thinking that the pirate captain, whatever his name was, was a great character though.

 

[TruXta]

Oh yeah, not fantasy, but everything I've read by Dan Simmons. Self-indulgent quasi-philosophical jizz. Fucking get a plot you twat.

 

[Corax]

Maybe not at the very top of the list, but Douglas Adams and Ray Bradbury are certainly massively over-rated for the shite they produced.

 

[toggle]

It was one of those series' where the first book starts as a rollicking space adventure and four books later it's turned into a philosophical treatise. Bit like Enders Game. I do remember thinking that the pirate captain, whatever his name was, was a great character though.

now that's a series that dosen't improve in the later books.

 

[Cid]

one thing I will say in defense of Tolkien- the epics you get today, the 12 booker mortgage payers have usually a happy ending, if not a return to the past peace but a sense of happy homecoming. We won. Scouring of the Shire doesn't give you that.

They all die too. Well, cross to the undying lands... Except Merry and Pippin maybe, I forget.

Spoiler: Malazan

Which is another thing, we praise Erikson for killing people (and Whiskeyjack's leg is a jolt), and GRRM (not read any of his though) but they're a bit shit at it. I mean the Bridgeburners ascend and become not dead. GRRM seems to be ressurecty too, although I stopped watching GoT and never read his stuff - just going off the endless sidebar articles on 'OMG will X return?'.

 

[DotCommunist]

They all die too. Well, cross to the undying lands... Except Merry and Pippin maybe, I forget.

Spoiler: Malazan

Which is another thing, we praise Erikson for killing people (and Whiskeyjack's leg is a jolt), and GRRM (not read any of his though) but they're a bit shit at it. I mean the Bridgeburners ascend and become not dead. GRRM seems to be ressurecty too, although I stopped watching GoT and never read his stuff - just going off the endless sidebar articles on 'OMG will X return?'.

gamgee settles with rosy

and on the erikson one- the bridgeburners ascended as whole so I bought it. We were introdced to them at the point of that legendary status so the apotheosis didn't jar.

loved the late stuff so much as well, y'ghatan. Shai'k and the army of the apocalypse.

 

[Cid]

gamgee settles with rosy

and on the erikson one- the bridgeburners ascended as whole so I bought it. We were introdced to them at the point of that legendary status so the apotheosis didn't jar.

loved the late stuff so much as well, y'ghatan. Shai'k and the army of the apocalypse.

Not read LOTR for years (at least 10), wiki says Sam makes the crossing eventually. I forget. I do get the bridgeburners as legend, but come on, that's not death. It's not the blank and definitely eternal absence of a loved character.

e2a: except Mappo Runt.

 

[8den]

Proper shite..........soft porny-rapey-macho big old bollocks

It's really worrying that Gor would be a "Men's rights activists" paradise.

 

[toggle]

It's really worrying that Gor would be a "Men's rights activists" paradise.

ok, there's bad, and there's that bad.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

The Wheel of Time self harm thread.

I didn't finish them either

 

[toggle]

The Wheel of Time self harm thread.

I didn't finish them either

when you do finish, you really wish you'd never bloody started.

 

[Buddy Bradley]

now that's a series that dosen't improve in the later books.

I only read the first two, but Speaker for the Dead wasn't that bad.

 

[Pickman's model]

when you do finish, you really wish you'd never bloody started.

especially when you realise time sadly linear and not cyclical

 

[DotCommunist]

Dan Simmons.

massive islamaphobe apparently

 

[Pickman's model]

one thing I will say in defense of Tolkien- the epics you get today, the 12 booker mortgage payers have usually a happy ending, if not a return to the past peace but a sense of happy homecoming. We won. Scouring of the Shire doesn't give you that.

yeh but that might be one thing tolkein got right: life has so few happy endings.

 

[hot air baboon]

...unlike the above specimens I'll admit to having bought this...grumpy aging hippies Hawkwind re-imagined as science-fantasy superheroes....Moorcock shamelessly pimping his name out ....

 

[yield]

I do get the bridgeburners as legend, but come on, that's not death. It's not the blank and definitely eternal absence of a loved character.

e2a: except Mappo Runt.

In the Malazan Book of the Fallen many loved and/or interesting characters die a final death without ascending or being resurrected.

Spoiler: Malazan

Adjunct Lorn. Uncle Bult and other Wickans on the Chain of Dogs. Gruntle's retinue fighting the children of the Dead Seed. Bonehunters - the High Mage who gave his life in the desert defending his friends. Forget his name. Tiste Edur. Tiste Andii giving up from ennui.

Trull Sengar dying was a shock. Thought he'd be a permanent character. His fight with Icarium was excellent.

 

[DotCommunist]

Brak the Pidgeon Chested Barbarian? thats a new one. Wheres his bulging ubermensch pecs

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Maybe not at the very top of the list, but Douglas Adams and Ray Bradbury are certainly massively over-rated for the shite they produced.

I really enjoyed the hitchhikers books in my youth, but on recently reading the first one again. . .well I'm inclined to agree with you.

 

[Corax]

I really enjoyed the hitchhikers books in my youth, but on recently reading the first one again. . .well I'm inclined to agree with you.

Bloody hell. I post the most incediary flamebait I can, slating two of the best fantasy authors I could think of, and don't get a single bite. And then you come along with THIS!

 

[Pickman's model]

I really enjoyed the hitchhikers books in my youth, but on recently reading the first one again. . .well I'm inclined to agree with you.

What, about ray Bradbury too? That's a bit harsh

 

[TruXta]

Bloody hell. I post the most incediary flamebait I can, slating two of the best fantasy authors I could think of, and don't get a single bite. And the you come along with THIS!

Adams, while popular, would hardly rank as among the most accomplished fantasy authors. Entertaining nonsense. Pratchett, hardly a literary genius himself, massively outwrote him quality-wise. Bradbury otoh has moments of genius.

 

[DotCommunist]

I was just looking up Golden Apples of The Sun cos I recall being suprised at how early it was when I first found out- early 1950s! but then Herbet's Dune was way way earlier than I thought too. Sign of a good sci fi author I suppose. I note there is a 1997 edition which contains ten additional stories from his short. Excellent, will get on epub

bradbury is no way on par with the bad names we've had here. Suck a bollock with your iconoclasm corax. My left one

 

[DotCommunist]

Adams, while popular, would hardly rank as among the most accomplished fantasy authors.

oh yeah you read adams for the laughs more than the prose or the story although given the plot was nearly entirely in the service of jokes thats one and the same lol

 

[TruXta]

oh yeah you read adams for the laughs more than the prose or the story although given the plot was nearly entirely in the service of jokes thats one and the same lol

I think the book of his I enjoyed the most was where he and some other bloke used British place-names as words for things that otherwise have no words for them iyswim. Just jokes, none of the other filler stuff.

 

[toggle]

I only read the first two, but Speaker for the Dead wasn't that bad.

yeah, but he goes on and on and on from there

 

[Corax]

bradbury is no way on par with the bad names we've had here. Suck a bollock with your iconoclasm corax. My left one

What the fuck is going on with you recently DotC? See post #113 FFS!